Eternal
by The Kaiser
Summary: The last story of Yuna's brother. Facing an old enemy is hard at times...but what would happen if something went wrong? Mix of FFX2 and FF7. I'll write the prologue stories later! Sry! R&R plz. Rated T for profanity, violence, et al. Likely to go up.
1. The Summarization of The Chronicle

This is the story of Yuna's brother, Tatsu. I'm sorta sad to say dat this is tha last story of this series. So, this is the background, I guess. R&R, plz!

Disclaimer: Yo I dont own none of Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy VII,Chaos Legion, Devil May Cry or Kingdom Hearts, but I DO own some characters and some names in the story.

Just to state, the setting in like Spira and stuff, its actually "real world" civilized like buildings and stuff, not huts or teepees lol.

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**Eternal**

**Background: Summarization of Past Events **

Besaid Island. An island of mesmerizing sights. The perfect paradise. Home of Tatsumaru Kazama, a 16 year old teenager who is the son of High Summoner, Braska and the brother of Yuna Kazama, who is a very intellingent summoner who takes her work seriously, but not too serious. Things were well, lives were lived, and no conflict was in place. The sense of peace was relieving. Tatsu was a guy with a pretty good build, spiky blue hair, and the clearest green eyes you've ever seen. He was a good guy, helping most in need, being the one who was the leader. Everything had changed, however, when he heard the news that a girl was going to move in for awhile because they were building a new home in the Bikanel. Yuna introduced Rikku to Tatsu, their half-cousin. Rikku got to know Tatsu a lot, and they were almost an excellent couple in any situation. However, around these times, things were bad. Tatsu began to show symptoms of intense anger. He would explode at almost any bad moment and his eyes seemed to illuminate their color. It was until that time when his father had received a letter from the military in Spira. With fear of not returning to home, Braska, Tatsu's father, revealed life long secrets to him that will scar him for life. Tatsu found out that he was of the Angel race, Ravenox. Angels were other beings that lived farthest to the north of the world and their bodies could obsorb more strength than humans could. Normally, their eyes glowed to help their vision, along with the wingspread.

Tatsu was asked to meet with someone far away from home. In request of his fake father, Tatsu was sent to the lands in Murdoa, a country southeast of Spira, just past Destonox. There, Tatsu met the legendary Seig Warheit, a known guardian of Murdoa. He was trained extensively in the arts of hand-to-hand combat, gun and blade wielding, and the arts of magic. After Tatsu had befriended Seig for about a year, he decided to run once again, but this time, to Destonox, just northwest of Murdoa. There, he befriended a young man named Tidus, who claims to have been separated from his true love, Yuna. Tatsu was a bit ticked off, but learned to tolerate as time went on. Three years passed as Tatsu undergoed gang violence, money, assasination, covert inner-city operations, along with pain and sorrow. The more Tatsu killed people, the more he began to grow pains. His personality changed dramatically, and his hair was grown a bit longer, reaching to his cheeks, except for the front bangs, which dropped just past his nose. He was perfect in the arts and was a killing machine. Cold, heartless, monotone, and always serious and quiet, Tatsu began to hate his life. He regretted from agreeing with his father, but he had to be strong for him, because Tidus had told Tatsu that his father had passed fighting with a being named Sin, that had threatened Spira. Later on, one day, Tidus mentioned to his friend that he had located the wherabouts of his sister, Yuna, and that he would go the distance for her. Tatsu listened to the short story that Tidus had told him, and recommended that Tidus wait for her in Besaid as he went and delivered information to his sister, who he hasn't seen in more than four years. As Tatsu went to retrieve his sister, he was a bit nervous to see her reaction to how much he has changed. When he met his sister and Rikku again, they were extremely glad to see him, showing with tears of joy. After he had taken them back to Besaid to Tidus, peace was continued once again, but he felt slightly far away from his friends. That's when a mysterious Angel Crowanox assassin, Lexetor, was dispersed to assassinate the Zanarkanese guardian, Tidus, and the High Summoner Yuna, because of the faliure of Sin and other enemies. Tidus formed a clique to defeat this notorious killer, but unfortunately failed in doing so. That's when Tatsu stepped in for the first time in a long time, and displayed his extreme power. Lexetor was defeated, and he still haunts Tatsu.Next,a magical spell given to the High Summoner, called the Eternal Spell, was used to give the effects of un-aging.It was casted upon several people, mostly guardians.This spell made people notdie of old age, but they could be killed, however.Angels didn't needthis spell, since they were born to have it in their blood. Now, thehigh summoner and all of her guardianscouldn't die of old age,whichmeant they had to guardSpiraforever.Later, after those events, Tatsu's heartbegan falling for his "non-cousin" Rikku, after all they've been through. He visited Rikku's home for about a month, trying to get her to love him back. He displayed a different side of himto her, more of a flirty person, but later, he changed back instantly, not playing anymore, wondering why he let his emotions control him. Rikku actually loved him back, and they moved to Tatsu's house on Besaid Island, living in peace.

A year later, Tatsu found himself fighting against the toughest army in the world, the Tiburonian soldiers. He had to face 5 million of them. This is what happens...the last part of the chronicle...


	2. Prologue

**Part 1: The Kaiser  
********_Most say that the eyes of a Kaiser-blood can be enough to put a spell with a glare. However, some say that the eyes of the Kaiser means death, death upon several…millions. There's a 2000 year old legend about a rare blooded angel who turned to the dark side, slaughtering millions. He was always the one that was good, but his life was consumed by sorrow, fury, pain, fear…the four internal ingredients to one more, called "end." This angel's name was Kaiser, and he fell in love with a human named Syrelle. He was hated by only one mere accident he caused, and the anger inside manipulated him, causing him to kill. In the end, Kaiser realized his wrongdoings, and after killing the main enemy that he sided with, he fought his lover, who had let go of his old self, and focused on who he was now. Kaiser had already snapped back to his old self, but the influence he had on the people was regretting. Knowing that he could never turn back the hands of time, Kaiser stood ready to see what Syrelle's attack was going to be. She raised a blade and charged her true love, but as she speared him, Kaiser dropped his blade, letting him die. His last words were, "The end is here. It has ended the fear, the sorrow, the fury…thank you, Syrelle, for ending this pain I've held so long." Kaiser's strong, unyielding soul became an angel race, a very rare angel race named after him. Up from the heavens, he chose very few responsible people to keep the burden of his strength and power. Now, Kaiser wasn't recognized as an angel race anymore, it is an immortal race, ones that are allowed to see heaven without death. History just might repeat itself once again, but this prodigal burden can be too much to bear, but the one who could bear it contains the heart of the legendary Kaiser, the most powerful warrior to ever exist. Out of the few, only one rises above all others, and he who does so will surpass Kaiser's strength, and will become the Eternal Guardian._**

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**The Prologue:  
**He stood there, shaking and hyperventilating. That heavy rush of adrenaline pumped through his veins so quickly, he could feel it. Just breathe. His bloody hands held his cold blade. The cold wind blew into his face and the moist air seized his body in a fierce chill. The clouds had let the rain fall on top of them on the grassy battlefield. All of the dark clouds stretched endlessly, so far that you couldn't see the sun anywhere. The battlefield was the Everain Savanna. Taking a look into the distance, Tatsu stepped forward to see the five million man army of Tiburonians. They just happened to strike a year after that summer Tatsu had with Rikku. Now, Tatsu had to decide fate for the lands of Spira. He felt Rikku grab his arm, not wanting him to go.

"Tatsu…" she cried, looking at the approaching Tiburonians. They were cold looking, having helmets that had facemasks that glowed an eerie yellow. The whole suit itself was scary. It was bulky like the Arbitor from Halo and there were some small tubes that coiled around their neck area. These tubes fed their bodies oxygen, nutrients, and some medical things to heal it. The Tiburonian army was dominant, but Tatsu had to stop them now, so that they wouldn't hurt anyone else. It was like fighting Lexetor again. The army marched, and fleets of airships flew slowly towards Besaid, and Tatsu had to do something quick, which is to fight alone. The odds were greatly against him, and he was outnumbered. Five million to one was a huge outnumber, but Tatsu knew that he could defeat this army. He already had his course of fighting, but he healed quick to fight once more. Tatsu was injured as well. However, his green eyes glowed with a crave for more fighting.

Tatsu looked into Rikku's eyes as if this were their last moment. "Sorry. I have to do this. If I don't, we'll all die." he said, walking forward towards the army below the hill.

Rikku pulled his arm. "No, I love you too much." she said, giving him a kiss.

"It's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all, Rikku." Tatsu said, looking up into the rain and letting go of her arm. "I won't die. I mean that, too. No matter what, I won't die now. Not yet. Trust me…because I love you." he said, kissing her back.

He ran off, leaving Rikku breaking into tears. Behind her, Yuna shouted for her to run away from the battle scene. Yuna sprinted to Rikku, who was in shock, and pulled her arm, taking her away from the battle. Tatsu ran directly face-to-face with the Tiburonians. His blade was in his hand, and he leaped up into the air, and swung his blade as he landed into the wave of soldiers.

Gasping for air, Tatsu woke up in his bed. His mind was cleared of his past memory and he sighed. The Tiburonian army was wiped out by him. He killed every last one of them, even when it was five million to one. How long has it been? Two years? He was separated from his friends and tried to find them, but had no clue where he was at. Eventually, he found a place to live. Tatsu shut his eyes gently, trying to remember what had happened after the war.

The rain still dripped fiercely, and Tatsu wiped out nearly every single Tiburonian soldier, even if they came one after another. There were only the ones in the last ship. The ship lowered to release more men to fight Tatsu. At that point, Tatsu jumped up as the ramp lowered. He landed right into the loading deck of the ship, crashing into several soldiers. After finishing all of them, he wounded the pilot badly as he drove through the open. The pilot died slowly and Tatsu was left badly wounded. He collapsed onto the floor of the ship, leaving the ship going and him bleeding, running out of fuel and crashed. Tatsu didn't feel it, however, as he was knocked out unconscious. The ship drifted off into the distance and smashed into the ground with a bang. Tatsu was still out, bleeding severely and was on the brink of dying. However, he was rescued. The girl who rescued him had jet black hair and it fell straight down to her shoulders. After Tatsu's long recovery in the ICU, he was up and ready to head back to Besaid, but he had no clue whatsoever where it was, along with the people around him in the city of Rhinoa. Tatsu was out of the hospital, no place to go, no place to live. These moments reminded him about his lonely life when he left his home at age 16, consumed by darkness once again. He went around and found the woman who saved his life. She looked around Rikku's age which was 18 or 19 at the time. Tatsu had let himself grown out of his teen hood after he fell in love with Rikku three years ago. He did have the power to live forever at one age, which his human friends had obtained as well, but he let himself be a little more mature and live there. She approached him with her hands behind her back and tried to look under his hood at his face, covered by darkness. Turning away, Tatsu sighed. The girl stood up straight and began to talk.

"I'm Tifa Lockheart." she held out a hand, smiling a bit. "And you are?"

Tatsu stood there and turned back to her. "I'm…Tatsumaru Kazama. Call me Tatsu." he said, shaking her hand.

The grip of his gloved hand made Tifa feel as if he were still in a coma. His grip was loose and unstable. She let go of his hand and smiled a bit.

"Thanks for saving me." he managed to spit out at her. She smiled and started to swivel her body from side to side. Tifa had never seen anyone so isolated from happiness.

"Do you have any place to go?" she asked openly to this stranger she had just met. Tatsu's eyes opened with surprise. Why would she offer him to live at her place?

"No." he simply answered, looking out into the rain. "I'm, afraid I don't."

Tifa turned away. "Oh, that's too bad. There's some extra space at my bar down the street. Would you like to live there for awhile?" she asked with a crooked smile.

"Why do you want _me_ there?" Tatsu asked, seeing her lonely expression. "I'm not a nice guy."

Tifa smiled. "Sure you are!" she replied, seeing Tatsu sigh. "I need someone to help me to run my bar, or at least to help protect it."

Tatsu looked out into the rain again. The rain reminded him a lot about his darker years, which had caught up with him again. Rain was like his pain, and every drop that fell on him drenched him in angst, yet anger and a lot of other mixed feelings. Tifa stared into the darkness that his hood gave over his face. She couldn't see a thing. Wondering what to do, Tatsu knew that this would be a good start for now.

Getting out of his memory and out of bed, Tatsu went to his kitchen to make some coffee. Looking around and searching, he gave up and decided to go over to Tifa, who he hasn't seen in awhile, for coffee. He slipped on his dark clothing, and thought for a second. He actually hasn't seen Tifa in a year and a half now, and, unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to befriend her. She was extremely gorgeous, but Tatsu's heart belonged to Rikku, whom he truly had an experience with. At first when he met Tifa, he knew she was missing a part of her. However, Tatsu found himself back again, with a serious attitude and a sorrowful life. He didn't know why the Tiburonian army would attack at that point in time. His life was full of regret from all the wrong moves he had made in his past. Somewhere in the back of his head thought only one name: Lexetor. He didn't know why Lexetor popped in his mind. Now he questioned the fact if he were even meant to live like people. He walked the loneliest road he had ever seen, and he wondered why he felt somewhat comfortable to live by himself. Still wondering, he looked out into the partly cloudy sky. Ridgar, Rhinoa was still in nearly ruins from three years ago. The city was trashed when a person named Cloud Strife who had defeated a malignant Soldier commander named Sephiroth. Tatsu sighed, heading out for morning training just before going to the bar.


	3. Chapter 1: 2 Sides, 2 Lost Loved Ones

**Chapter 1: 2 Sides, 2 Lost Loved Ones  
**The waves crashed onto the sands of Besaid Island. It always pained her to remember that last moment. One mere Ravenox, against an army of Tiburonians, five million of them. Fighting for the fate of Spira and the rest of the world, and for her, although she wanted him to stay with her. The pain of him not there with her was too overwhelming. Tears fell from her eyes whenever she had a small doubt that he would never return. Sobbing, she hung her head down, and covered her face. She had remembered about him again.

_Why didn't I stop him? I should've refrained him from going…_

Rikku cried. Tatsu was no longer with her. He was no longer there to calm her when she was out of control, no longer there to embrace her when she cried, no longer there to love her. A great relief filled her from knowing that the Tiburonians wouldn't attack anymore, yet it disappeared as great sorrow filled her as well, knowing that he wasn't there anymore. She wasn't sure if he was gone. Every time she cried for him, a part of her told her to calm down, because she felt as if his presence still lingered somewhere, but she didn't have a clue where. Rikku missed his love, the scent, the way he handled her body, the taste of his lips. Nothing hadn't changed. The houses were there. The beach was there. The clear blue sky was there, but it all felt so empty. A breeze rushed, and she felt something from it that made her gasp and look up. Rikku looked around, seeing nothing, but felt something odd. Having no clue, she stood up from the beach and wiped off the sand. Looking around, she could sense something unusual, yet comforting that was surrounding her. The wind whispered into her ear as she twirled around. It reminded her of when she spent time with Tatsu. They had wondered around the beach, when wind blew into their ears. Snapping towards the garage, she could hear faint voices. Slowly walking towards the garage, Rikku wondered with curiosity, yet was very cautious at the same time. The voices got louder as she got to the garage, which was open at the time. She gripped the door, waiting for the right moment to leap out. Lashing out, she saw Yuna and Tidus, in the middle of a discussion. The only thing Rikku heard was a few words, "Let's tell her." She raised an eyebrow and went and gave Yuna a hug.

"Yunie! How ya been!" she greeted Yuna with a smile. Yuna had a troubled look on her face, which Rikku caught quickly. "What is it?"

Yuna gave a sideways smile and looked at Tidus, who nodded. They had something to tell her. "Um…Rikku. We have some good news for you."

"Lemme guess…you're pregnant." Rikku guessed with a cute smile.

Yuna shook her head and laughed. "Me and Tidus haven't thought of it yet. Here, take a good look."

Yuna handed Rikku a newspaper from Ridgar. The newspaper was today's, and on the front, the headlines said Tiburonian Airship Crash Is Remembered, One Survivor. Rikku's eyes browsed through the newspaper quickly with interest. She read a part from the newspaper:

**…The crash survivor didn't state his name but we still remember him today. Local crackhead Rodney "Crackman" Johnson says, "Oh! My brotha, he wore dark clothes like he was a messenger from the dark devil himself! His eyes glowed an eerie looking green (coughs on crack) and, oh, man, it was off the hizzle!" But however, local bar owner of the 7th Heaven Tifa Lockheart disagrees, "I saw him. He took a recovery at my place until he could make his own money, that's all. He is perfectly normal and we have nothing to worry about."** **Today, he can still be seen here in Rinoa. Next, Rodney "Crackman" Johnson has been taken into police custody for his crack possession, and next week, we interview a cop who bribed a crackhead for his crack, which was crackedly insane along with the crackingly crackers that cracked the crack-busting cracky cop who didn't crack a crack about the cracky crack from the crackingly cracky crackhead…**

Rikku couldn't believe her eyes, which were just glued to the newspaper. She looked up at Yuna, who had been smiling at her this whole time. With happiness, Rikku gave her a gripping hug.

"It's Tatsu, Yunie! It's him! I know it!" she started to jump around with excitement.

Tidus bit his lip with doubt. "Rikku, there could be a chance that it's someone else, you know that, right?" he said, causing her to stop laughing with excitement. Rikku paused and thought for a second, then smiled.

"Tidie, I'm pretty damn sure that it's Tatsu. Come on, I went all over Spira with Yunie to look for _you_, and this is what you're gonna be like?" she teased Tidus, causing him to be a bit speechless.

"But it was Tatsu who led you to _me_, wasn't it?" he argued back, but was stopped by Yuna.

"Tidus, it's okay. I feel like there's another adventure on the horizon, don't you think, Rikku?" Yuna said to Rikku. She has been craving for adventure ever since Tatsu, her brother, disappeared. "C'mon, Rikku. Don't you want to journey again?"

Fortunately, Rikku _did_ want to go out on an adventure again, seeing the sites, having fun. She had never seen Rinoa before, either. The city of Ridgar in Rhinoa was about 500 miles away from the border of Besaid, into the north. To the southeast was Destonox, the city of destiny and fate.

"Of course I do, Yunie! Just let me get ready." she said, heading back into the house, inviting them in. "Oh, Yunie. Call up the Gullwings. It's time to have some more Gullwing adventures…yes I know, that was corny what I said. Anyway, add Paine to the list, too." she said with a smile, hopping upstairs to her room.

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Kairi stood around. Things were always the same around here. Same old same. That was until _they_ came and ruined her life. The heartless. She walked around, bored.She had been for a long time. She craved the life she knew Sora was having: exciting and reckless, and especially dangerous. Sighing, she thought deeply and went to the area where the Secret Place was, right under that gleaming waterfall. The air became warmer and a bit moist as she continued down that cavern. When she entered the place, she looked up, seeing the sunlight from the small skylight. It made her think of her two best friends. She sighed, dropping to her knees next to the drawing on the stone of her and Sora sharing a papou fruit. Her mind wandered, and she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she'd gotten up and was pacing the room. She found herself next to the dark door that led to other worlds, where Sora was at this moment. Kairi couldn't resist not opening the door. She opened it and walked inside.

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The Celsius hovered over Besaid, and it slowly silenced as it landed on the cement ground. Rikku looked out her window as she packed her things and smiled. She had never had an adventure in a while. Finishing her packing and zipping up the bag, she lifted it onto her shoulder and walked downstairs, eyeing the pictures of her and Tatsu on the wall. Stepping outside and locking the door, Rikku turned and saw Yuna all ready and set to go. Yuna had her hands on her hips and smiled at Rikku. Stepping towards Rikku, Yuna began to speak.

"Ok, Rikku. You ready?" she smiled as Rikku nodded. "Your Gullwings are here. Adding a few people, too." she added, stepping to the side.

Rikku felt herself choke on her own breath.

_Oh god, not Gippal. Please not Gippal._

The ramp slowly lowered with a soft whir and she saw the new Gullwings. Yuna walked forward into Rikku's sight, and held her hand out to the team.

"These are the new Gullwings, Rikku." she said and began to name them. "You, me, Paine, Tidus, Buddy, Jr., and the new Gullwings. Rai and Baralai and……uh I believe that's it. Oh yeah, uh Shinra couldn't make it. Too dangerous."

Rikku let out an enormous sigh of relief. If Gippal came along, she'd go by herself. She wouldn't want to be bothered for the whole voyage by a guy who doesn't stop talking, like her. Rikku smiled at the new Gullwings after awhile and walked up the ramp to the Celsius. They greeted her as she walked up along with Yuna. Setting down her bags, Tidus had a briefing with the group.

"Alright, Gullwings. As you all know, I'm Tidus, and I'm the leader of this expedition. Our subject is Tatsumaru. Those who don't know Tatsu, such as Baralai here, he's a good friend of ours who defeated Lexetor and the Tiburonian army." he explained to them, watching them nod with understanding. "He is believed to be seen in Ridgar, um, just about 500 miles away from here, in Besaid. These are the rules: there are no rules. Well maybe you all should watch each other's backs, and that's all. Remember, you volunteered, so you can back out any time you want, which I hope doesn't happen………Rai." he said, snapping to Rai, causing him to scoff and look away into sea.

Rikku took a deep breath and sighed as the ramp lifted up and closed with a thump from the metal. Still a bit worried, she felt Yuna's arm touch her shoulder, causing her to turn around.

"Don't worry, Rikku. We'll find him. Soon you two will be reunited." Yuna said, smiling and making a cute puppy dog face that Rikku would always fall for.

"…Okay, Yunie!" Rikku went along and the ship lifted with a roar as the hovering caused dust to blow off the ground beneath it. The sun was bright and the air was cool; a perfect day for an adventure.


	4. Chapter 2: Realizing Fate, For Now

**Chapter 2: Realizing Fate…For Now  
**The clouds swelled up and the partly cloudy sky turned dark and rainy. The feel of the blade was as if it was his life, so sharp, so cold, so ever blank. Every drop of rain, every water molecule, added sadness to him. The rattle of the rain against a surface were like memories that he was being forced to remember. Although he was sad, he felt unusually comfortable living alone like this, yet the emptiness saddened him. He stood on the rooftop, thinking why he was always forced to live alone. Tatsu let the darkness swallow him, because he didn't care. If the darkness is going to take him, it'll take him. His heart was strong, and it resulted in ruining his life. The loneliness didn't turn him evil, but stabbed him deeply. Only a little bit showed at the surface, but the deepest wounds never show, and will scar him for life, which is going to be forever. Ravenox and the other races of angels cannot die of old age. Humans need a certain spell, such as the one that Yuna casted on her friends and family, in order to live like this. To get the Eternal Spell from the angels, the human race must earn it by doing great things in life. Yuna was handed that spell after defeating Lexetor (or at least people thought she did), and she casted it on her friends, if they wanted to live forever. They had let themselves age, however, and wanted to live on the next level of life: adulthood. Being teenagers were fun, but they couldn't get the privileges they deserved (no, not drinking, if that's what you thought "privileges" were), so they allowed themselves to age.

The blade in his hand was cool, cold, and wet from the falling rain. Precipitation…fun for the kids, yet brings back memories. Memories of what he went through alone. All the things he went through changed him from the person he used to be as a young teenager. He used to be cool and collected and would always be the hero and would always help his sister out. He had love for his family and went through a normal childhood. At school, he was always the guy people would turn to for help, always the nice one. Although he was never a dedicated student, he was smart intellectually and academically. He's the guy you would think is the "playa" of the class if you saw him the first time, but he was cool and lived happily. It was that letter that made him turn to the bad. His father, Braska, had received a letter from the Spiran Army. Seeing this, his father ensured that Tatsu would become strong and defend the family, just in case he died. Tatsu left late at night, saying goodbye to his sister and sailed out to sea. Crashing on the lands of Murdoa, he met the legendary Ravenox, Seig, who agreed to train him extensively in the arts of fighting. Thus, Tatsu grew extremely powerful, mastering the blade, several fighting styles, gunning, inner and external power, stealth, et al. The odd thing is that he mastered these within half a year, and it would take a person their lifetime to master these things. The thing that changed his attitude and his personality was when he left to live somewhere else, in D.Lo, Destonox. In D.Lo, Tatsu was pushed and he pushed back, pushed so hard that the word spread. Ergo, Tatsu was standing in a room full of the wrong people with the wrong money. There were several types of people who had hired him. Mostly, they weregangsters who hired him for illegal gladiator fights underground. Tatsu had killed a lot of people during this period, leaving no trace and no clues behind. The anger swelled up inside him and he ended up killing the crooks, which was a turn for the worse. Finally, he just let time slip by, letting the anger and sorrow tear his soul into pieces. All he could do now was just reminisce and hope he could rewind the time.

Back to his training, Tatsu's blade moved laser fast, slicing through the rain with silence. The water streaked as the blade went around, going all 360 degrees. Cold. Just cold. The feel of the rain gave him the chills and the darkness inside him grew extensively. His eyes glowed under his hood as the blade spun and whirled. He was on the rooftop of his apartment he had bought. He didn't have enough money to get a ship to fly back to Besaid, and he had no idea where it was. Thinking of this, the blade trembled as he spun it and it slashed his left forearm, blood dripping out. Tatsu groaned with pain, although he couldn't feel it. All the angst, all the loneliness made him numb. He could only feel the pain inside, in his memories. He remembered Wakka and Lulu's son, Vidina, and how he and Rikku would take care of him whenever they worked or were busy. Vidina would always say to him, "You're the bestest unclest uncle ever, Uncle Tatsu!" He always called him and Rikku his uncle and auntie, because they were so close and spent so much time together. Tatsu remembered that one time when they went to the shopping mall and Vidina got lost, and Rikku made him go and find him, which took quite awhile. He sighed. These memories are overwhelming. He didn't care if his blood fell, as long as it was for a reason. Kneeling, he ran his wet gloved hand over the cut, seeing how serious it was. He stood back up and grabbed his blade, heading back into his apartment. Inside, he went straight to the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and got the hydrogen peroxide, twisting the bottle open. He put his forearm over the sink and poured the peroxide over it. The peroxide burned and he grunted, feeling the pain this time. Sighing to the failure of this procedure, Tatsu just went straight to magic. He took off his glove and out his hand over the wound, focusing. There was a white light as it healed and after it was fully healed, Tatsu shook his arm and washed the remaining peroxide off. He stared into his eyes at the mirror. There was nothing in his eyes to see, but his mistakes staring back into him.

_What are you looking at, you disgraceful warrior…What have you done to help? Nothing. Just killing. Killing the wrong people. _

He felt his anger rush inside him again. There was no way to wash the memories away. They lingered forever inside him. He never knew that he would turn out to be like this; a person who kills for nothing but money. Now all the skill he had turned him into a sorrowful person, full of regret and angst. Tatsu tightened his fist, cracking his fingers one by one. Controlling his anger, he loosened his fist, looking down depressingly with a sigh. Why can't he get over his memories? They were too unforgettable, too sad, too painful. He couldn't just shake his head and forget. Those memories were recorded in his head, and played over and over and over and over again for so many years. Finally remembering something, he looked up at the mirror again. The bar. He wanted to pay Tifa a visit after so long, ever since she saved his life. He cracked his neck and walked out the bathroom, grabbing his coat. Looking outside, Tatsu saw the sun shining bright with partly cloudy skies. How long had he been in the bathroom? The ground was a little bit wet but most of the water dried up. He had been in the bathroom for quite awhile, thinking his day away. Slipping his jacket on, Tatsu pulled on his gloves and picked up his guns on the table. The guns were from that one time where Rikku took him to the gun shop near her house. The guns were worth a fortune, and Tatsu bought them. That was when he had money, money that he got from the fighting tournaments in Besaid. Shaking his head full of memories, Tatsu grabbed his blade as well and slipped it in its sheath, hanging it on his shoulder by the strap across his chest. The blade hung down to where Tatsu could get it by pulling forward from his right arm. When he pulled out the blade, the sharp part would point towards the bottom, on the bottom side of his right hand. Tightening his boots, he stomped and walked slowly out the door. As he walked out the building, he went to the bottom level parking lot, and jumped on his motorcycle. He put on his helmet. The face covering was so dark that no one could see, only when his eyes glowed. The bike was large and bulky, with a jet black look. The bike reversed (yes, reversed by itself) and Tatsu drove it outside, heading towards the7thHeaven bar, across town. The bike sped through, water splashing as it ran through the streets. Tatsu suddenly stopped, the bike drifting a long distance (For those who don't know, a drift is when a vehicle with wheels skids a certain angle. This method is used to slide along corners or for other uses). As soon as it stopped, Tatsu removed his helmet and looked at the church that stood before him. Can the religious save him form these terrible memories? He got off his bike, the bottom of his coat waving, and walked toward the entrance. As he stepped inside, he walked down the middle, his footsteps echoing on the floor. He stared up at the cross signs and the mosaics on the walls. A priest waited at the other end of the church.

"How may I help you today, young man?" he looked into Tatsu's eyes. "Any problems that you have?"

Tatsu raised an eyebrow, standing below the podium where the priest spoke from.

"How can you tell?" Tatsu asked the priest with a pained look.

"I know that look. You're not the only one who had that look, although you look as if your condition is worse than the last visitor." he answered, stepping down from the podium and stood in front of Tatsu. "You have a problem you can't get over, am I correct?"

Tatsu glanced around, thinking why anyone would come here. Maybe it was a mistake.

"I have…sinned too much…" Tatsu said with embarrassment, looking away from the priest.

The priest smiled at Tatsu, knowing that he was hiding embarrassment. "I know, Tatsumaru."

Tatsu's eyes sparked up at him, surprised to hear his name, yet didn't show it.

"Hmph, so you are people of God." he paused, thinking about his questions that he had about himself. "Was…was I meant to live a life like this? Was I born to kill? Am I supposed to live in sorrow, having no sense of happiness whatsoever?" he said, staring down with a bit of confusion in his unanswered questions. He had always wondered why his life was so imperfect. He did understand the fact that no one is perfect, but Tatsu wondered why his life was horrible, full of sorrow, disappointment, violence, and regret.

The priest had a troubled look on his face. He had never seen a Ravenox so sad before. "I'm sorry to say so, but I don't know. You are meant to not just kill, but for a reason. You are meant to determine the fate of this world. Others have done so, but yours is by far the most difficult. If you wish to turn from this path, you shall be exiled from civilization, till the day you die, which is never, am I right?"

Tatsu kept staring down. Maybe his life was meant for this. Not for love. Not for paradise. He finally realized it a bit. All this time, he was just being prepared for something.

"What is the threat that will come upon us, father?" he asked the priest, seeing his troubled look.

"The only advice I give you is to look into yourself. There, you'll see the threat that comes upon the people." the priest answered.

"So…what do I do?" Tatsu asked with confusion.

"You must go to wherever you are planning to go now. Go on, son. Spread your wings and fly. May God be with you." the priest put his hands on Tatsu's shoulders and nodded, signaling for him to leave. Tatsu nodded back with understanding and walked out the church, his footsteps echoing yet again.

_So…a new bad guy? Wonder who it is. Whoever it is, I must act quick. No time for shenanigans now. Did he mean to "go somewhere" as in to go to the bar? Hmm…_

Hopping on the bike and slipping his helmet on, Tatsu looked down the street, seeing several innocent people just walking, living life. He knew now. He was not meant to live like that. He was meant to be defending lives. All the killing was just basic training, although it still haunted him. Sighing, Tatsu squeezed the handlebars with a bit of frustration at his own life. His knuckles cracked and the bike zoomed across the cloudy-sunny streets of Ridgar.

* * *

The Celsius flew across lands in Spira, getting closer to the destination. Rikku looked outside at the forest that they flew over. It looked peaceful. The birds chirped, the animals roamed, the fish jumped out of streams. It was so opposite to Tatsu. He was never free-roaming like she was. He would never go out unless he absolutely had to, or when he was in the mood. All his life, he was cornered, forced inside a life he couldn't get away from. Only she would be able to free him, and she did so, a few times. She leant on the wall, just staring down outside the window, thinking of him. Yuna sat in the seat across from the wall, seeing how uneasy Rikku had become. This was so unlike her. She was never so sad like this. Yuna was always used to Rikku's energetic, bouncy attitude, which kept the Gullwings on their toes, but now, Rikku seemed so heartbroken and sad. Tatsu was the only person who she ever loved. With great concern, Yuna stood up slowly, walking towards Rikku. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, Rikku gave out a tiny gasp.

"Rikku…are you…okay?" Yuna tried to ask her.

Rikku bit her lip. "I'm alright, Yunie. I'm just a little troubled."

"About what?" Yuna tried to look into her eyes.

Staring back at Yuna's mismatched eyes for the moment, Rikku turned and looked away.

"Maybe I was a little excited. Maybe I jumped to conclusions, you know? It's probably not Tatsu, anyways. I was stupid to have you gather the Gullwings for nothing."

Yuna sighed and thought for a moment. "You know what kept me going to find Tidus? You, Rikku. You and Paine kept my hopes up, and Tatsu ended up helping us find him. I know how it feels. It feels as if they'll never return. Ever. I'm not going to let you give up, Rikku. He's my brother, and you love him. Don't let doubt stop you." Yuna explained to her, sighing.

"I-I know, Yunie." Rikku said, trying to choke back a sob. She couldn't help but cry. Her voice trembled and tears began to form in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Rikku. We'll find him. I just know it." Yuna said with a comforting voice. Rikku started to calm down and her sobs began to silence slowly as Yuna looked into her eyes. She knew that Yuna would keep her going, and that she needed to be strong. Seeing Yuna's calming look reminded her of Tatsu's comforting hug. Rikku remembered when she cried because of her memories of her childhood when her father had left for awhile to fight an enemy. Tatsu held her in a strong embrace and simply told her, "What are you crying about? There's no need to cry. I'm here now, no more nightmares. You got _me_, Rikku."

"Rikku, all you gotta do is keep your hopes up and have fun, just like the old days. You, me, Paine, and the Gullwings. We need your energy." Yuna said to her after awhile.

Rikku nodded with understanding and went to her cabin at the other end of the ship. She walked slowly, still trying to ease herself from these growing pains. Flopping on her back, Rikku thought about the past again. She had always been the cute one, the odd perky girl on the Gullwings who kept things going. It was just so hard, thinking of how she lost Tatsu and just going back to her old ways. Sighing with frustration, Rikku shut her eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

The grass was endless, stretching to wherever your eyes can see, and beyond. They had finally reached Kingdom Hearts, where they hoped to find King Mickey along with Riku. Sora, Donald, and Goofy marched towards the gates proudly. Slowly, the gates opened themselves with a creaking sound. Sora's face was confident that he'll find Riku. Stepping inside, along with Donald and Goofy at his side, Sora caught everyone's attention as he walked through. His past adventure had been so reckless. Destroying Ansem, the hooded fighters, and the heartless. He made several friends, but lost them, however, in the chain of memories. His friends that he had made were people such as Leon (Squall Leonhart), Yuffie, Aerith, and others. There was only one person who hadn't forgotten him. A guy slightly older than him named Zeon. They had become good friends, but separated as soon as the heartless spread. With much hope, Sora hopes to find his friends, Riku and Zeon, here. After he finds them, he will search for Kairi, hoping that she is safe and sound at the Destiny Islands. Noticing his sudden silence, Donald wondered what was troubling Sora. Goofy just seemed to stare off into space, happy to be at home. Sora's heart was thumping out of his chest. What if Riku couldn't be found here? With no other choice, Sora hoped that he would find his friend here. As they stepped into the door to the king's hall, Sora looked at his friends, with a slight nod, and twisted the door open. There was carpet that stretched about over a hundred feet from the door, leading to the throne of the king, Mickey. At his first sight, Sora saw Riku. Riku was in the middle of a conversation with the king and heard the door open and glanced over to who it was. He immediately recognized the face from that far of a distance. Sora sprinted the whole way and leaped to give Riku a hug. Riku's eyes widened and his heart skipped as he scooted out of the way, leaving Sora to bite the dust hard. Sora groaned, and lied on the ground on his back, trying to get his vision back online. Finally, his blurry vision saw Riku and his hand held out to him. 

"Sorry, Sora. I'm straight." Riku said to him, seeing his dazed look.

Sora groaned again and Riku helped him up. After Sora was back to normal, he spoke back. "I'm sure you are. Riku, it's really you. How long has it been? 4 years? Man, long time no see."

Riku sighed and looked around the room. "Yup. Four long years, and you finally found me. All we need to do now is to leave back to the islands, although it's not easy. Kairi should be waiting for us there. Let's go now, with haste."

"Woah, Riku." Sora stopped right in front of him. "We can't go until the king says so. And I need a rest, too. I went all this way, man, and I'm exhausted. Jeez, can't you slow down? I've already went a million miles."

"King Mickey and I have already arranged some things for your arrival, Sora. He's waiting outside for us. Just a million and one more." Riku sounded confident in returning home, but it was all too soon. Mickey came storming into the room full of anger, with Donald and Goofy following him. It looked like they had already greeted each other. Sora caught him, walking fast.

"Oh, Sora. There you are." the king began, approaching Sora with a bit of anger in his voice. "It seems that your little friend Kairi has moved on to other lands away from the islands. This looks like the work of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, the three sons of Sephiroth. Not really sons, but clones. Darn it! We need to take care of this now! Sora and Riku, Donald, Goofy, and I are coming with you. We leave in a few hours."

As soon as the king turned around to leave, Sora stopped him. "No, King Mickey. You and your friends have done more than enough. Me and Riku will take it from here, unless he wants to stay as well. I will find Kairi myself." he said. It all went so fast. Sora reunited with Riku, along with Donald and Goofy reuniting with Mickey, and already there's another journey on the horizon. Sora then turned to his friends, seeing their sad look.

"Sorry, guys. I have to take it from here. Kairi needs me." Sora tried to explain, seeing them nod with hidden sadness.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere without me." Riku spoke up, having their attention snap to him. "Sorry, Sora, but even if Kairi's your "girlfriend" I have to stick around as well, to keep you two from trouble, which I _do_ know will occur."

Sora sighed and looked away for awhile. Can he trust Riku after all he did? Well, he _did_ help close the door to Kingdom Hearts. Riku was Sora's best friend, ever since they were children. It was until the heartless had attacked when Riku turned to the dark side. But now, Riku was as normal as ever. Just them two looking for Kairi. After that, they could return back to home sweet home on the Destiny Islands. After thinking it through, Sora turned back to Riku.

"Just don't do anything dumb like you did when you joined Ansem." Sora spoke in a serious and cautious tone. Riku nodded with understanding. No way will he ever join the dark side ever again. No way in hell.

"Yeah, I was really stupid, but I swear on my life I won't do it again. I would rather die than to join the dark side." Riku swore to his friend. Sora nodded then turned to Mickey.

"Where do we go to reach Kairi, Mickey?"


End file.
